


Kickflip your way to success

by canadino



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Board is life, M/M, Polygamy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:00:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26230777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canadino/pseuds/canadino
Summary: Your typical posse: a teenage celebrity and a textile prodigy.
Relationships: Nanao Taichi/Rurikawa Yuki, Nanao Taichi/Rurikawa Yuki/Sumeragi Tenma, Nanao Taichi/Sumeragi Tenma
Comments: 2
Kudos: 35





	Kickflip your way to success

Tenma saw Taichi in the foyer, putting his shoes on and clearly looking ready to go somewhere, and he would have let him go without a fuss if Taichi hadn’t also been acting totally suspicious. Glancing over his shoulders, patting his pockets excessively to assure himself he had what he needed, walking slowly and quietly to the door - those were all trademarks of a scene where someone was sneaking out of the house. Tenma would know; he’d acted in enough projects, on top of the overacting needed for some of the physical comedy in Summer Troupe plays. It was the middle of the day too, so Taichi was not tiptoeing out for a clandestine meet-up or a party that Sakyo had forbade him to go to. Tenma thought, as his boyfriend, that this behavior warranted him sticking his nose into. “Oy, Taichi! Going to the skatepark?” 

Taichi rooted in place at his voice, as if a current ran through the ground and up his body to stop him there. “O-oh...Ten-chan! Y-yeah, I am, like usual!” His voice was squeaky. It sounded like that when they’d tried to leave campus during class in their last weeks at Ouka High. Taichi waved his skateboard in the air, to emphasize that he was as he said. “Just going there to skate. Like everyone else who goes there.”

“I see.” Now Tenma wasn’t sure how to proceed. Even a fool - and not that he was one - knew that confronting someone about misdoings rarely led to them confessing immediately. He hadn’t caught Taichi doing anything particularly questionable; he was dressed in athletic gear with his skateboard and he wasn’t carrying anything that would be out of place at the skatepark. Tenma wasn’t a smooth talker without a script, so he doubted he’d be able to finesse a secret out of Taichi like Banri or Azuma might. Conflicted, he tried to think quickly. 

Taichi cocked his head. “What’s wrong? Or...hehe, did you want a kiss goodbye?”

“W-what? Of course not!” 

“Oh thank goodness I caught you before you went off.” Yuki was rapidly approaching, easily distracting Taichi from his embarrassing question. It was one of the few times Tenma appreciated Yuki popping up unannounced, as those moments usually led to an uncalled for comment at his expense. “Since you’ll be out, can you pick up a pack of white buttons? I want the eight millimeter ones.” He held up a pen. “Will you remember that? Or should I write that on your hand so you’ll see it?”

“I’ll remember it! I’ll definitely remember it!” Yuki turned to Tenma, raising his eyebrows in curiosity. 

“You knew he’d be going out to skate?”

“Of course. He always goes at least once a week. Although...didn’t you go on Monday after class already?”

Taichi, who had lit up at Yuki’s arrival, quickly became flustered again. “Er...yes, well...I-I wanted to go again...I’m trying to perfect this one trick and I didn’t really…do it good on Monday…” 

“Well, don’t hurt yourself,” Yuki said. 

“Okay!” Then, even though Tenma had insisted he hadn’t stopped him for it, Taichi took their hands and pulled them down for a quick kiss each on the cheek. “I’m off! I’ll be back! And with the eight millimeter buttons!” Tenma felt his cheeks heat as Taichi closed the door behind him, and even Yuki brought a hand up to his face; they’d gotten better with time, Yuki no longer protested indignantly at any sign of affection and Tenma could now easily pretend everything was fine if anyone else asked. 

“Don’t you think he was acting a little weird?” Tenma asked, when Yuki began to walk away without acknowledging him. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well… he was acting all sneaky and stuff, which is why I called out to him. Like he didn’t want anyone to see him. He goes to skate all the time, so why would it be unusual? Why wouldn’t he want to be caught?”

Yuki frowned. “You don’t think he’s going to the skatepark? Why would he bring his skateboard then? He doesn’t really use it to get around on errands, since he’d have to carry it around inside.” 

“It’s not that...he probably is going to the skatepark, but…” Tenma felt silly for thinking it. “You don’t think...there’s someone else?”

He’d received plenty of Yuki’s exasperated looks, and Tenma had just gotten another one for his collection. “He’s got both of us. You think he can handle someone else? Or he wouldn’t tell us about them?”

“I don’t know...but it didn’t seem right. You said it too, that he rarely goes twice a week. If it’s not someone else maybe he’s getting into fights with a rival? You saw them too, right? He’s got a ton of bruises on his shins lately, and he’s too good to be falling like that.” 

“You’ve got such an overactive imagination,” Yuki said, although the frown had softened into worry. “I guess...I could work on the next play’s costumes this evening. Since you seem so adamant about storming in to protect his honor.” 

They gave Taichi a thirty minute head start, to avoid any awkward questions if they were caught tailing him, but mostly to get into gear for battle. Yuki had rolled his eyes and harrumphed at Tenma breaking out his designer shirt and expensive snapback over his designer shades, but Yuki had also put on sleek black bicycle shorts under a chic brown skirt and was stomping around in meticulously polished black leather boots. Tenma brought the aura, while Yuki was ready to curbstomp a bitch. Still, the people in sweatpants and loose shorts gave them a wide berth as they peered into the skatepark from behind the signage at the entrance. Compared to the helmets and guards, Tenma and Yuki looked like they’d stepped right out of a fashion photoshoot. 

“He’s here,” Yuki said, and Tenma did not miss the brief note of relief in his voice. “Over there, with the kids.” Taichi was surrounded by a small group of children, along with a woman around his age and a guy who looked a little older. Yuki pointed to the fence around where the gathering was. “Let’s get a little closer.” 

Tenma was glad he lent Yuki a pair of sunglasses. Surely Taichi would not notice them sneaking up. A bit of guilt settled in his stomach at this roundabout way of soothing his anxieties, but there was nothing wrong with cheering one’s partner on. Taichi was completely absorbed in talking with the kids, and as they came closer, it was obvious he had been teaching them. 

“I’m glad you’re here too, Taichi-nii,” one of the girls was saying. “You’re smaller than Yuna-nee and Ko-nii, so I feel like I can do it too when I see you do it.” 

“Ahaha...I guess that’s good then…”

One of the boys, wearing an electric blue helmet and clutching a skateboard with a sentai series cast emblazoned, was squirming before blurting out. “Okay, class is over now, so show us your lovers already!” Tenma felt Yuki tense next to him. Taichi still hadn’t seemed to notice them. 

“Hmmm...I did say that, didn’t I?” For his play at hesitance, Taichi had puffed out his chest proudly. 

The woman, Yuna, grinned. “I know we joked about that, but I can’t believe you really came out specifically to show us. You really built it up, saying you couldn’t show us before because you wanted to show us the best photos...it really makes me wonder what kind of people they are. Kotaro was saying he didn’t even believe it, so you’re going to have to show us real evidence.” 

Kotaro, the other adult instructor, shook his head. “Youth is amazing, but...and this isn’t a dig at you...but I can’t imagine you with one person much less two. You just started college and you’re already settling down? Really makes you think.” 

“Tai-nii is in an acting group, so do you think they’re celebrities?” another girl asked. 

“They’re probably normal people if he’s got two,” the blue helmet boy huffed. “Maybe ugly too.” 

“Is he really going to show them a photo of you?” Yuki muttered. Taichi seemed to realize the impact of revealing that he was dating an actual celebrity too, because he suddenly hesitated and tapped around on his phone. But he relented and crouched down to scroll through some photos. The adults reasonably kept their reactions fairly tame, but the kids instantly burst into chatter among themselves. 

“They’re pretty, they are celebrities,” the girl who had speculated before said. 

The blue helmet boy studied the photos intently. “Hmm,” he said. His head shot up and over at Yuki and Tenma. “So those people over there?”

With the way Taichi rushed over and was waving his hands, an observer might think he was trying to hide a big surprise about to be spoiled. “Ahh! What are you two doing here! And looking so good. We’re out here to skate, you know!” Coming up to the fence, Taichi’s cheeks were pink, but he was beaming. “What are you doing here, though, really?”

“We-we were just in the area, and just happened to pass by,” Tenma said. Yuki rolled his eyes. 

“The fraud actor was saying you were hiding something from us, so we wanted to know what. He was saying things like cheating and getting into fights with enemies.” 

“I didn’t say it like that! I didn’t say enemies, that’s way too dramatic.” Glancing around Taichi’s head, Tenma watched the adult instructors usher the kids a distance away to give them some privacy. “I didn’t know you were teaching kids, though.” 

Taichi shook his head. “I’m not teaching them! Yu-nee and Ko-chan are, but I met them when I was practicing here a few months ago and I helped them out with a class so I’ve been coming and helping them explain some techniques. It’s definitely different teaching other people than learning yourself...I’ve never had to anticipate my own skateboard flying at me, for one.” 

“And explaining technique includes talking about your personal life too, huh,” Yuki said. 

“I-it’s not like that! They were talking about it last time, because Yu-nee just got engaged and they were going around asking if anyone had boyfriends or girlfriends and the kids were saying I probably was single and…!” Taichi shook his fists emphatically. “I obviously had to brag about you guys! And they got curious and were doubting me, so I had to...it’s not like I was hiding it from you, but...it’s a little embarrassing, you know? And they won’t tell!” Taichi turned to Tenma. “I purposefully only showed them shots of you with sunglasses, so they shouldn’t recognize you immediately and also I’m just a regular guy at the skatepark so they won’t go around sharing my business…” 

“Give yourself some credit. You’re a dumb dog, but you’re their board mentor too.” Yuki waved at some of the kids who were still staring at them. 

“Well, now that we know you’re not up to no good, we can just leave,” Tenma said. It didn’t seem that any of the kids recognized him, nor did it seem like he’d caught the attention of the people who were skating on their own, but he was sure it wouldn’t be long until the racket they’d caused would draw more eyes. It still made him feel funny when Taichi talked about them as a couple. For a while now, he’d accepted that as a celebrity he would be single until his publicist decided it fit his image to be seen publicly with a partner - and even then, it would be a somewhat concocted affair. It was just how it was in the business. So it was nice and a little scary to have their current set-up. It helped that Yuki approached everything so pragmatically. 

“Okay, I’m almost done so wait, let’s walk home together. And pick up the buttons.” Taichi ran back to the student group, and Tenma and Yuki waited for him at the entrance. Taichi came out, a little sweaty but with a big smile on his face, and held out his hand for Yuki to take. 

At the fabric store, Tenma hung back as Yuki went inside and bought the buttons. Taichi stayed with him; it was common knowledge that Tenma was not to be left alone in the Company lest he wander off on his own or might get accosted by excited fans. “Sorry,” Tenma said. “I just thought you were acting funny earlier, so I told Yuki and we followed you. I should have just asked.” 

“It’s no big deal! If it was a problem, I would have told you guys. You know I’m awful at keeping secrets.” Tenma didn’t know what else to say. He bumped Taichi’s shoulder, hoping it got the point across. Taichi elbowed him, grinning. Yuki came out and yelled at them for roughhousing in front of the store. On the way home, Taichi tried again to show off and didn’t stick a grind off the railing in the park. As solace, he linked arms with Tenma until they returned to the dorm. Later, when Taichi sent all the photos he showed to his skateboarding class to the group chat, Tenma listened to Yuki huff in embarrassment and quietly changed the background of his phone.

**Author's Note:**

> I legitimately don't think I can get tired of this trio's dynamics. I'm sure it's obvious by how I've written them, but I headcanon them as a V because I only see Tenma and Yuki as supportive friends (you will never see me write content for them together). That said, I feel like I've focused so much more on the Tenma dynamic mainly because I like Tenma a lot as a character but also TaiYuki really feels so solid it doesn't make me feel like focusing on something that feels so self explanatory...if Liber would stop being cowards, we really could have the childhood friends to lovers trope. Anyway, I just wanted to write a fic of Taichi bragging about his cool and capable partners...there was no real conflict in this story...


End file.
